Patents Examined by Nathan Wiehe
  • Patent number: 7329089
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes a scroll casing consisting of first and second flat base walls, a circumferential side wall. An air inlet is formed on the first base wall, an exhaust port is formed on the side wall. A backflow prevention mechanism is arranged in the airflow path to prevent backflow from the exhaust port during fan halting. The mechanism has a flap that is rotatably supported by the first base wall and its rotation axis is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the flap shuts the airflow path under its own weight in a horizontal-use position where the rotating shaft of the motor is horizontal. The flap is inserted into a slit from the outside and is held by a stopper plate. A protrusion, which contacts with the rim of the flap when the flap shuts the airflow path, is formed inside the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Servo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Morio Senba
  • Patent number: 7326027
    Abstract: Centrifugal compressor flow stabilizing devices and methods of operation thereof are disclosed that act upon the flow field discharging from the impeller of a centrifugal compressor and modify the flow field ahead of the diffuser vanes such that flow conditions contributing to rotating stall and surge are reduced or even eliminated. In some embodiments, shaped rods and methods of operation thereof are disclosed, whereas in other embodiments reverse-tangent air injection devices and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Gary J. Skoch, Mark A. Stevens, Thomas A. Jett
  • Patent number: 7326028
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump has a pump base with inlet inducer openings that receive molten metal into an impeller chamber. An impeller structure in the impeller chamber passes the metal in a radial direction through an outlet inducer opening into a volute passage for discharge into the pool of metal in which the pump is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Inventor: Jorge A. Morando
  • Patent number: 7322101
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor stack may be engineered or reengineered to include one or more longitudinally outwardly concave spacers. The spacers may provide a longitudinal compression force that increases with rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, James W. Norris
  • Patent number: 7316538
    Abstract: The turbine engine of the invention includes a rotor with at least one bearing, mounted on a bearing supporting part, said part being connected to the fixed structure by an uncoupling device, including at least one fusible screw passing through at least one bore, said screw comprising a head and a threaded portion, a fusible portion forming a preferential failure area, located between the head of the screw and its threaded portion. The screw comprises, between its threaded portion and its fusible portion, a portion for blocking the screw in rotation, cooperating with a complementary blocking portion provided in the bore. By means of the invention, the torsional torque related to the tightening of the screw is not transmitted to its fusible portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Gael Bouchy, Regis Eugene Henri Servant
  • Patent number: 7309207
    Abstract: A fan shroud structure (10) is constructed and arranged to carry a fan and motor. The fan shroud structure includes a base (12) and an annular rim (24) extending from the base. The rim defines a generally central opening (26) sized to accommodate blades of a fan. Motor mounting structure (28) is coupled with the rim (24) and is disposed generally adjacent to the central opening (26). The motor mounting structure (28) is constructed and arranged to support a motor for driving a fan. The fan shroud structure (10) includes a first pair of opposing sides (14, 16) and a second pair of opposing sides (17, 18) coupled to the base to form a box-like configuration defining a perimeter of the fan shroud structure raised with respect to the base such that the sides are discontinuous with respect to the base (12) to shift resonance of the shroud structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Marek Horski, Bonifacio Castillo
  • Patent number: 7306425
    Abstract: A fan assembly including a fan, a supporting case to cover an outer surface of the fan and to support the fan, and an anti vibration member interposed between the fan and the supporting case to prevent a vibration occurring in the fan from being transmitted to the supporting case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chul-min Park, Kyoung-choul Jang, Sung-je Woo
  • Patent number: 7306433
    Abstract: A rotor of a turbine-type machine, in particular a gas turbine rotor, is disclosed. The rotor has a rotor base body, where the rotor base body has a groove extending in the circumferential direction of the rotor base body, and has multiple rotor blades, or rotor blade segments, or an integrally bladed, circumferentially closed rotor blade ring. The rotor blades, or rotor blade segments, or rotor blade ring are/is anchored in the groove extending in the circumferential direction of the rotor base body by a blade base or ring base. The groove has a profiled groove wall leg on only one side, with the blade base of the rotor blades or the rotor blade segments, or ring base of the rotor blade ring, being in contact with the profiled groove wall leg with a correspondingly profiled supporting flank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Klingels, Klaus-Peter Rued
  • Patent number: 7306431
    Abstract: Methods to make various types of automatically opening hand fans. One embodiment is an automatic sliding hand fan having a first guard and a second guard with a substantially planar material connected between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Inventor: Susan Gail Cobb
  • Patent number: 7306428
    Abstract: A gas turbine with several shroud segments (1) which enclose rotor blades (3) of a turbine wheel (5) as a seal, with the shroud segments (1) having at least a front and a rear attachment at the radially outward area of stator vane segments (7, 12), and with each of the stator vane segments (7, 12) being located at their radially inner area on a control ring (9, 10), wherein the stator vane segments (7, 12) are located on the control ring (9, 10) in a radially adjustable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Harald Schiebold, Olaf Mistareck, Thomas Wunderlich
  • Patent number: 7300254
    Abstract: An improved transparent blade for a ceiling fan that includes a decorative insert is disclosed. The complete blade assembly provides a blade support, screw holes, and a blade field, which contours the interior area of the topside of the blade. The blade provides an open cavity area for easy and secure insertion and removal of a decorative insert which can be viewed by the room occupant through the clear bottom side of the blade field. The fixed blade is a single, durable, relatively thin flat member manufactured from injection-molded plastic. The present invention offers a fashionable appearance and adds value to a room's setting and ambience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Inventors: Terry Lee Kistner, Jason Allen Kirkelis, Kenneth Lee Kistner
  • Patent number: 7300249
    Abstract: Methods to make various types of automatically opening hand fans. One embodiment is an automatic double folding hand fan having a first guard and a second guard and spring mechanisms to open the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Inventor: Susan Gail Cobb
  • Patent number: 7284958
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade platform including a par of platform retention members. The pair of platform retention members are configured to be located on opposite sides of a disk lug. The retention members interact with the disk lug to restrain radial movement of the platform during rotation of a disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Allison Advanced Development Company
    Inventors: Jason E. Dundas, Ted J. Freeman
  • Patent number: 7284959
    Abstract: A rotor of a turbine-type machine, in particular a gas turbine rotor, is disclosed. The rotor has a rotor base body, where the rotor base body has a groove extending in the circumferential direction of the rotor base body, and has multiple rotor blades or rotor blade segments. The rotor blades or rotor blade segments are each anchored in the groove extending in the circumferential direction of the rotor base body by a blade base. The groove has a profiled groove wall leg on only one side, with the blade base of the rotor blades or the rotor blade segments being in contact with the profiled groove wall leg with a correspondingly profiled supporting flank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Hermann Klingels, Klaus-Peter Rued
  • Patent number: 7281893
    Abstract: A supporting frame with locating function mainly includes a supporting portion and a plurality of connecting portions. The supporting portion is provided at a central area with a plurality of hollow spaces, and is connected at an upper side to a fan and at a lower side to a radiator. The supporting portion is provided on a rim area with fixing holes, via which fastening elements are extended to connect the supporting portion to the radiator. Each of the connecting portions includes an axially extended connecting hole, in which a locating mechanism is received. The connecting portion is connected at an upper side to the supporting portion, and at a lower side to a main board via screwing and elastic elements of the locating mechanism. With the supporting frame, the fan and the radiator can be quickly assembled to the main board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ming-Hui Pan
  • Patent number: 7281895
    Abstract: A turbine vane usable in a turbine engine and having at least one cooling system. The cooling system may include at least one convergent flow channel for receiving air from a shroud assembly. The cooling system may also include impingement channels in a leading edge cavity for impinging a cooling fluid against an inner surface of a leading edge of the turbine vane. The cooling system may also include a serpentine cooling path for removing heat from aft sections of the turbine vane proximate to the trailing edge of the turbine vane. The cooling system may also include a divergent leading edge cavity. Exterior film cooling is not needed to safely operate a turbine vane according to this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Power Generation, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 7273354
    Abstract: Disclosed is an axial fan (1) rotating in a plane (XY) about an axis (2) having a central hub (3) and a plurality of blades (4), which have a root (5) and a tip (6). The blades (4) are delimited by a concave leading edge (7), whose projection in the fan plane of rotation (XY) is defined by two circular arc segments, and a convex trailing edge (8), whose projection in the fan plane of rotation (XY) is defined by one circular arc segment. The blades (4) are made from sections with aerodynamic profiles relatively extending in the direction of their centre line, providing good flow rate and air pressure relative to the overall dimensions of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: SPAL Automotive S.r.l.
    Inventor: Alessandro Spaggiari
  • Patent number: 7273351
    Abstract: A component such as a turbine blade of a gas turbine engine includes a film cooling arrangement which is optimized by a process in which a component is manufactured having a film cooling arrangement of an initial design and evaluation of the performance of the film cooling arrangement is conducted, for example on the basis of the blowing rate of cooling holes present in the initial design. The configuration of a cooling hole of the initial design is subsequently modified in order to improve the performance of the film cooling arrangement and a component is manufactured in accordance with the modified design. By way of example, the initial design may provide a single cooling hole 128 and the modification may comprise the provision of additional cooling holes 126, 130, each intersecting the initial cooling hole 128 adjacent its inlet end which opens into a source of cooling fluid 120.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLC
    Inventor: Michiel Kopmels
  • Patent number: 7264442
    Abstract: A combustion chamber inner casing (24) has a flange (28) on its downstream end. A retaining seal ring (40) is bolted to the flange (28) and traps a flanged seal ring (46) against the flange (28) in a manner that allows the seal ring (46) to move by expansion, relative to seal ring (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLC
    Inventor: Adrian L Harding
  • Patent number: 7264440
    Abstract: A fuel pump in which fuel can pass smoothly through through-holes of an impeller is taught. Through-holes communicate concavities formed in upper and lower faces of the impeller. These through-holes are formed at an inner side region within the concavities. When the impeller rotates, the rotational speed of the portion provided with the through-holes is slower than in the case where these through-holes are formed at the outer side region within the concavities. As a result, the fuel in the vicinity of the through-holes within the concavity has a slower rotational speed, and consequently the fuel passes easily through the through-holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Ikeya